Can Special Needs be Completely Healed?

Special needs moms wonder this, even if they don't say it out loud.

I think it is part of the grief process, really. What we thought was going to be a normal healthy baby turns out to be not so healthy, and then, we find out they are special. Not normal. Different.

Then, we bargain with God. We ask Him to heal our children. We ask plain out for a miracle.  We see the oncoming train, and the life of Special Needs coming right at us.  We are afraid of the future.

Yet, for most of us, the miracle does not come to take away the specialness of our children.

There was a time when I hoped for a miracle too.

I wanted my son to run and play like other children.  I wanted him to talk and socially relate with children normally.  I wanted him to find peace and calm, not anxiety.

God did bless us with a few healings, and He continues to work in my son.  He stays healthy.  When the syndrome attacks his body, he overcomes it.

But, God has not healed my son of his syndrome, and yes, he still acts autistic, and exactly like a person with his genetic syndrome acts. 

Missionaries talk about healings

Usually, they are from missionaries who go to foreign countries.  

Even then, they do not occur very often. Yet, I can say, that Jesus Himself stated in John 9:1-3, that the blind man he healed was created this way for the glory of God.  I don't think we have yet seen the FULL manifestation of that verse today.

Does God heal our children? Yes, in some ways He does. We have seen amazing results from health and nutrition, medications, and therapies.  

Sometimes, we hear of babies healed of malformations in their bodies, and young children overcome amazing odds in their development when they shouldn't.

Rarely is a child healed of their special needs

There is this guilt in the Special Needs Mommy World that says you aren't doing enough if your child still lags behind.  If you haven't been to 20 therapies in one week, and 10 doctor appointments, then you aren't doing enough.

It is as if they hold on to the hope that if they work hard enough, their child will no longer have this genetic syndrome. 

I get it. We all hope for healing, but at some point, we must tend to other things around us and within our families. 

I want the best for my son, but I have another child. 

At some point, God either brings us a miracle for our child, or He gives us the grace to stand up under the burden we have been given by Him. 

God's plan for healing is not necessarily the world's view.

That is really a hard one, particularly if you are the one with a sick child.  You do everything you can, and still, changes don't happen. You pray some more. Your child still remains disabled. Your child develops slowly or develops more conditions of their genetic syndrome. You pray even harder, and still, life for your child is difficult.

When we have done everything we can, it is time for acceptance.

It is time for us to find rest in Special Needs and all that it brings. Sure, there will be plenty of dark days, but there are also more than enough days of joy.

It is time to rejoice at the simpleness of your child's worldview. It is time to look for those who understand his or her unique perspective and RESPECT it. 

Today is a season to look for tolerance and love, not hate, and a push to conformity that will never happen.

Yet, we have hope. Hope for a new body for our children in Heaven. Jesus will carry us through this Special Needs life.

In His grip~

Kim

Originally published 7/31/2014

Unlocking God's Will in Your Life

Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 :

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed by your Name.
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, 
But deliver us from evil.

What happens when it doesn't work?

Honestly, this prayer, known as the Lord's prayer, is not just a set formula that guarantees instant results. Too often, in our absolute frustration with life's events, we find ourselves calling out to Heaven with our words and cries, only to find that our prayers are not answered in the way we wanted them to be.

But, you know, there can be two reasons this is happening...

We may be praying the wrong prayer.

You might say, "God wants life not death, health, not sickness, right?"

Yes, but sometimes our hearts may not be aligned with God's heart in the matters we lay before Him.  God's purpose in all of our lives does not rest on the human worldview, but on bringing us closer to Him.

You see, in my own experience, in our human world, we look around and decide things need to be aligned this way, or that way. This child should be normal, not disabled.  This child should be healthy, not sick.  This child should live, not die.

Yet, just as we learn in the book of John that a man is born blind just so Jesus can heal him and show the world God's healing power, so too, can God have a plan we just don't understand in our world's eye view.

God may not restore things that go wrong in the way that we think restoration should happen. He may have an even better, more glorious solution than we understand.  In our human eye view, it can cause us great sorrow and loss.

This brings me to the second point.

Why should we even pray at all?

It is like this, if God has not prepared our hearts, or rather, we are still holding on to sinful ideas that keep us from hearing Him and His will for a specific event, then our prayers appear to hit the ceiling of Heaven.  I am not saying it is the means to an end, but that we may need to be on a stronger foundation before things shift in God's realm.

The real question is, how honest are you ready to be before the One who created you?

Have you ever tried laying your heart, completely bare before Jesus?  Trust me, it is NOT an easy thing to do! When we look full into the mirror of our own hearts, it is not pretty.  Not one person can tell me they are not stained and don't need Jesus, because they do.

We have to allow the Lord to shine His light on our hearts and repent of our sins.  It is a cleansing that you want to do, believe me, but it is only for brave hearts.  It will not only bring light into your soul but true grace and peace. It will also bring you a new heart.

In the end, we can choose to follow God or our own plan.

God knows the best way to solve our problems if we will only listen.  We, His people, will only find true rest when we choose to submit to His will.  The funny part is that the Lord will not force us.  He will only beckon us, His Bride, to Him.  He promises us a new heart if we will.

In His grip~Kim

Originally published 7/28/2014

Do You Need More Than a Miracle For Your Special Needs Kid?

Did you ever wonder how many miracles you could have in a lifetime?

I mean, can we have one?  Or two?  Three?

Or, can we have as many miracles as we need?!

If you are like us, you need a lot of miracles. Our family would be in over our heads with disaster if we stopped at the miracles we received.

They may not be miracles like raising the dead, making the blind see, or the lame to walk, but there have been miracles for us. We were brought to the edge of needing a miracle, and then back again.

Do you need a miracle for your family today?

Ask the Lord for your next miracle

Many special needs parents have seen one or more miracles. Yet, I think that one of God's gifts to us as parents is to watch His miracles unfold in our children and our lives. 

I know when my son was first born, I really did not think there were miracles in the world. It seemed like one of those churchy ideas that we all hoped for but never could receive. 

Yet, as the years ticked on, I saw more and more of them in my special needs son. He overcame his sleep apnea and many other health issues when he was small. 

And, so every time, we come across yet another twist in the special needs road, I find myself waiting for God to bring us yet another miracle. 

And He has time and time again. 

God has an amazing plan here

It seems to me whether we watch our children go to Heaven to be with God or we wait for the miracle cure that never comes. 

Further, we think we can give our kids a miracle cure or bandaid to make their special needs go away. Honestly, that simply will never happen. 

Yet, in all truth, God knows better than we do what our children need. While we may not find the miracle cure to take away the special needs out of our kids, what we can do is ask God for His best plan and know that He will deliver it to us. 

God does bring beauty out of ashes.

When He does, He doesn't just grow one lone little flower out of the ashes.  No, He causes a whole rose bush to bloom and thrive! 

He wants us to see that when tragedy breaks, even if it is the devil's attacks that succeeded, God will redeem the whole mess into something beautiful.

His plans extend far beyond the immediate world around us. Sure, He cares about the small things, but He also cares about the impact on those around us.  

This rebirth and renewal are what bring us joy!

[The Spirit of the Lord is upon me]
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3

In His grip~Kim

Originally published on 7/20/2014

You are Created for a Purpose

We are all a miracle.

Further, it is a miracle that any of us are saved!

One of the things that so many Christians preach and teach (intentional or not) is that we all come to Jesus ONE way.  Yet, read the Bible.  There is not one story about someone's faith that is the same.  Some may be similar, but never the same.

The funny thing is that God does not even create us the same.

He creates each of us in His own image.  Think about it, if God creates us in His own image, then how in the world did we end up with so many different colors, sizes, shapes, males, females, disabilities, and normal people in the world? Because God creates and looks at us from the inside out.

The twelve tribes of Israel in the Bible consisted of many nationalities.  Watch the Aliyah coming into Israel in the past few years, and you will see ethnic diversity from many different races.  Why? Because God created Israel this way, and it still exists in the Jewish faith.

Each utensil is created for a different purpose.

Sometimes, I think about our life journeys.  Some have it relatively easy, with all of the perfect family trimmings.  Others have a difficult road of childhood abuse and addiction.  Yet, still, others barely survive through a life of poverty and neglect.  Some live only a few short years and shine the brightest Light of Jesus to all who know them.

Your purpose is just for you.

When we receive Jesus we become part of the Body of Christ.   God creates us just for His good pleasure, and His purpose on this earth.  Yet, we can't receive it until we begin to listen to God.  When we hear Him, we follow the Spirit.

Following Jesus brings His children together.  When we put Him first, we will bond together in a way that only comes from the Lord.  It is His goodwill.  Each child of God has a part and purpose in the Body of Christ.  Sometimes it fluctuates and changes, but it always glorifies God.

As the Word says, we are all created with a purpose, but knowing this rests on our decision to follow Him first.


In His grip~Kim

Originally published on 7/10/2014

The REAL Love Dare

Perfection is so outdated. 

You know, when the outwardly perfect people attempt to control the morality of the rest of us. While people of any background, race, or creed can be used by the Holy Spirit, they are not the Holy Spirit themselves.

I do not believe that fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these are acceptable in God's sight. Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Ref: Galatians 5:19-21)

Yet, not all of us come on equal ground to the cross.

So, let us stop pointing the finger at the folks that seem to live an immoral life. You simply do not know where they were yesterday.

A homeless man may have not a meal.

Further, a prostitute may be only able to feed her kids this way.

Even a biker just left the only family he knew---a gang

That drug dealer on the corner risked his life to show up to church.

On and on it goes. 

Yet the outwardly perfect may be dead bones

It goes without saying that those who appear to have it all together, simply don't. They may be riding on their laurels covering up their evil lives.

It honestly happens all the time. 

Then, they turn and point their fingers at those whose lives are a constant struggle, but stand purely before God.

God looks at the heart, not outward appearances.

Seek the Lord with all your heart.

It does not matter how much we lay down at the cross. What matter is whether or not we truly repent before God. 

Even those who believe they hide their deeds before God, as if He really does not see what they do, must make a choice.

God calls us all to the cross, to lay down our sins and believe that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  

He then blesses us with forgiveness and GRACE.  It is the way of the cross and it brings us salvation from the start and keeps us saved.

But, we must come to the cross with true and real intentions to lay down our sins.  

This is Real Love.

Even after we are saved, and we lose our way, He brings us back.

He takes us from one point to another, because we cannot keep sinning with the power of the Holy Spirit saved up within us.  Once we have His mark, His power within us, we are His, and we will not be able to stay stuck in our sins.  It just won't happen.

God does not call us to STAY in our sins but to repent and move into His grace and glory.

Have you faltered?  Take the Real Love Dare.  Then move into His grace and His Light.

In His grip~Kim

Originally published on 7/1/2014